Young Players of the Year: Where are they now?
Winning the Young Player of the Year award does not guarantee you success. While most fledgling superstars go on to land major trophies in their careers, some struggle to live up to the hype.
The Premier League has produced some remarkable young talents over the past 15 years. In this guide, we look at each of the PFA Young Player of the Year winners and look at what they did next.
PFA Young Player of the Year winners
Here’s our list of every Young PFA Player of the Year dating back to 2009. Do you think they fulfilled their potential?
Ashley Young, Aston Villa | 2008/09
Ashley Young played just 10 times for England U21s before being promoted to the senior squad in 2007. He joined Steve McClaren’s set-up at the same time as David Bentley. The pair’s career paths couldn’t have gone much different.
Young joined Aston Villa from Watford in 2007 and two years later was named PFA Young Player of the Year after helping the team to sixth place in the Premier League. “This is a massive achievement for me and is a reflection of the season we have had at Villa,” he said.
Two years later Young joined Manchester United and went on to win the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League. He left Old Trafford after nine seasons, won the Serie A title with Inter Milan, and returned to play two full seasons at Aston Villa.
Still going strong at 38, Young is part of the Everton squad battling relegation from the Premier League this term. His is a career fulfilled.
James Milner, Aston Villa | 2009/10
Another former Villa player who shone in his youth and maintained his consistency throughout a long career is James Milner. The Leeds academy product was once the youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer at 16 years and 357 days.
He outclassed even Ashley Young in the 2009/10 season, playing 60 games for club and country.
Milner left Villa shortly after his PFA Young Player of the Year award to join newly-minted Manchester City. He won two Premier League titles and the FA Cup at City, before moving on a free transfer to Liverpool, where he became an integral part of their 2019/20 championship-winning side. He also lifted the Champions League the season prior.
Now at Brighton, Milner is more influential off the pitch than on it. But at 38 there’s definitely another season in him.
Jack Wilshere, Arsenal | 2010/11
Jack Wilshere was perhaps the biggest talent to come out of the England set-up in the post Golden Generation era between 2010 and 2014. The ex-Arsenal midfielder was a master with the ball and a bulldog in the tackle. A loan spell at Bolton in the 2009/10 season gave him the mettle to stand up to aggressive midfielders in the Premier League.
A year later, he was named Young Player of the Year following a breakout season at the Emirates.
Unfortunately, severe injuries and poor form with England curtailed Wilshere’s career. His influence at Arsenal steadily waned and, while he won two FA Cups, a league title eluded him. Wilshere left Arsenal to play a handful of games at West Ham and Bournemouth, before ending his career at AGF in the Danish Superliga in 2022.
Kyle Walker, Tottenham | 2011/12
Tottenham have produced more PFA Young Player of the Year winners than any other club since 2008. Kyle Walker is the first on this list, having joined Spurs from Sheffield United in 2009. The full-back was always a hot prospect and Spurs were smart to let him complete a season-long loan spell back at Bramall Lane in 2009/10.
His first season outside of Sheffield resulted in loan moves to QPR and Aston Villa. It was only in the 2011/12 campaign that boss Harry Redknapp was ready to use Walker. He got 37 Premier League appearances out of his full-back as Spurs finished fourth to reach the Champions League.
Walker went searching for silverware in 2017 when he joined Manchester City. He has since won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League. At 33 he is an influential figure in the City dressing room and still a regular for England.
Gareth Bale, Tottenham | 2012/13
Gareth Bale became the first Welshman to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award since Craig Bellamy in 2002. The 2012/13 season was all about Bale. He top scored with 21 league goals but couldn’t guide Tottenham to silverware of a Champions League spot.
It was evident Bale had outgrown Tottenham and Real Madrid came calling that summer. He went on to win five Champions Leagues with the Spanish giants and three La Liga crowns. Bale also led Wales to a remarkable semi-final at Euro 2016.
Injuries forced him to retire earlier than expected after a short loan at Spurs in the 2020/21 season, and a brief stint with Los Angeles FC.
Eden Hazard, Chelsea | 2013/14
Eden Hazard had already played four full seasons at Lille before he took the Premier League by storm in 2012/13. A year after his debut season and Hazard was considered one of the best players in the division.
He stayed at Chelsea until 2019, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League twice. A move to Real Madrid was inevitable but he never really made an impact at the Bernabeu, although he did win La Liga and the Champions League.
The Belgian retired in the summer of 2023 aged just 32.
Harry Kane, Tottenham | 2014/15
Back to Tottenham and fans who fretted over the loss of Bale didn’t have to wait long for a replacement superstar. Harry Kane needed a few loan spells and a stint playing Europa League football before he was trusted to lead the line in the Premier League.
He gave 10 full seasons to Spurs but failed to win a single trophy. He joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, only for his new team to lose the German Super Cup on his debut.
Kane scored 213 Premier League goals for sports and is England’s all-time top scorer.
Dele Alli, Tottenham | 2015/16
The fourth player to win the Young Player of the Year gong twice, Dele Alli’s brilliance was first recognised after a debut Premier League season that saw him score 10 goals. Alli’s exuberance on the pitch delighted fans and he quickly got an England call-up.
However, Alli never truly achieved his potential. Issues away from football arguably held him back and he left Spurs midway through the 2021/22 season for Everton. He spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Besiktas.
Dele Alli, Tottenham | 2016/17
Alli scored 18 Premier League goals in the 2016/17 season and looked unstoppable alongside Kane. But Spurs failed to capitalise on his excellence as they finished second in the league behind Chelsea.
As of February 2024 Alli has not played a game for Everton all season. A groin injury is the latest of a string of set-backs for the 27-year-old, who is out of contract this summer.
Leroy Sane, Manchester City | 2017/18
Leroy Sane was already a seasoned Germany midfielder when he joined Manchester City for £37m as a 20-year-old. After a steady debut season he emerged as one of the hottest young prospects in world football when guiding City to a Premier League and League Cup double.
Sane left City for Bayern Munich in 2020 and has won three Bundesliga titles to add to his two Premier League crowns.
Raheem Sterling, Manchester City | 2018/19
Raheem Sterling was arguably at the beat of his powers between 2018 and 2021. He dazzled for England and was untouchable at Manchester City. He was 24 when named PFA Young Player of the Year, in his eighth season as a professional.
Sterling stayed at City long enough to win four Premier League titles and lose the Champions League final, before joining Chelsea. His career has plateaued since and he now has to fight to remain in the England set-up.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool | 2019/20
A Liverpool lad, Trent Alexander-Arnold was into his fourth season at the club when he was named Young Player of the Year. His recognition came after Liverpool won their first league title in three decades.
Alexander-Arnold is still at Liverpool and also has a Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup medal back home.
Phil Foden, Manchester City | 2020/21
It took a while for Phil Foden to force his way into Manchester City’s first XI but when he did the results were spectacular. Foden won his first PFA Young Player of the Year award after a 50-game season in 2020/21 saw City win the Premier League and League Cup, while they lost in the Champions League final.
Phil Foden, Manchester City | 2021/22
The 2021/22 season yielded fewer trophies for Foden but it was here that he began influencing England games a lot more too. Since then he has helped City win the treble.
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal | 2022/23
Last season’s winner Bukayo Saka did not win any trophies at Arsenal but he is arguably the most influential young player in the Premier League. The England forward is meseric to watch and has a maturity to his game that is way beyond his years.
Saka is still young and could well win this award again – perhaps even the Player of the Season gong – if Arsenal win the league.